Biochemical responses of the ethylene-insensitive Never ripe tomato mutant subjected to cadmium and sodium stresses

▶ We used the ethylene-insensitive Never ripe (Nr) tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) mutant and Micro-Tom, which blocks ethylene responses, to investigate the oxidative stress responses to Cd and NaCl. ▶ Similar growth patterns and Na and Cd accumulation for MT and Nr were observed but the mutant exhibited reduced leaf chlorophyll degradation following stress. ▶ One specific superoxide isoenzyme from roots responded differently to NaCl and CdCl2 exposure, but was not genotype specific. ▶ Overall the results indicate that the ethylene signaling associated with NR receptor can modulate the biochemical pathways of oxidative stress in a tissue dependent manner, and that this signaling may be different following Na and Cd exposure.